image: Erin Kornfield/Elk Studios/MoMA Press via Bloomberg
Summer is underway and if you’re like me, you’ve embraced the ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality and enjoyed your fair share of mid week happy hours and sunrises. Tuesday can be considered an extended (or reeeaally early) weekend, right?! But we can keep it classy, too! Let’s not forget we’re in the art capital of the world, and un verano en nueva york means museums have extended their hours, packed their performance schedules with international artists and opened their courtyards to us. So if you’ve been seeking solace in air-conditioned vortexes and lost track of time, never fear! There are still 66 days left of summer. That gives us roughly 1,584 hours to go to every free concert, outdoor film and even grab ourselves a cronut at 6AM for our marathon days. Check out our top choices for NYC art and museum parties. Hey, maybe Jay-Z will show up and dance really awkwardly. Only in NY!
Not only is the 7th annual La Bienal: This Is Where We Jump on display, but during El Museo‘s ‘Radiance,’ Wednesdays are filled with film screenings, panel discussions and artists talking about their inspirations and artistic process. It’s all very civilized until DJs Les Carbonell and 5ifty5ive hit the decks and start spinning the best of house, funk, afro-beats and soul. Last time we dropped by, there was a crew of guys working it out on the dance floor with some kind of hybrid latin-house-frolic-samba-esque moves that made us wish we didn’t have to go to work in the morning.
[insert-event id=51767 share=1 cw=280px filter=1]
The Studio Museum in Harlem has been closed to prepare for six spanking-new exhibits to be unveiled July 18th. ‘Women’ by Robert Pruitt shocases 20 historic and contemporary women of color in power as well as debut work from three artists in residence. This Friday, Uptown brings Chicago’s DJ Shaun J Wright spinning and singing his vogue-inspired tracks. Warning: there may be twirling!
[insert-event id=51785 share=1 cw=280px filter=1]
The highlight of any hipster’s NYC summer are P.S. 1 Warm Up Parties. They bring the best of underground, off-the-beaten-track DJs from London, Australia, Japan and NYC talent. A platform for emerging artists, both visual and musical, this summer alone has J. Cole and our summer crush Empress Of performing under the brutal sun. Let’s show Queens some love!
[insert-event id=50339 share=1 cw=280px filter=1]
Brooklyn Museum First Saturdays always has a theme. Lucky for us, the next one up is celebrating the sounds and traditions of the Caribbean. Before Los Hacheros and Zing Experience take the stage, there will be dance workshops, film screenings, art talks with El Museo’s curator, Rocio Aranda-Alvarado all for free. Admission to Brooklyn Museum is always free which makes this one a favorite of mine. Have you seen Monumental Works by El Anatsui? Don’t miss it!
[insert-event id=51883 share=1 cw=280px filter=1]
Bushwick Block Party is by far the coolest block party you will ever come across. Not only is this year sponsored by Vans (free goodies!) but there will also be a mahaoosive pizza party provided by Roberta’s and their ‘four ovens of doom’. If that’s not enough incentive, perhaps catching Worlds Fair, the flyest rap troupe coming out of Queens, will make you travel to the new artists haven. You can tell all your friends you met them in Bushwick before they got famous. Extra cool points!
[insert-event id=51617 share=1 cw=280px filter=1]